The two-day bulb change
Returning home in the 1936 Austin L/12, I notice one sidelight is not working. I try to remove the bulb and replace, but bulb will not twist and pull. Bulb breaks. Pliers manipulate the casing with the filament stalk – stalk breaks off. Next step, cut the casing with fine wire cutters. Still stuck. Screwdriver bends the casing, at last it’s free. We are now at three hours. Looking at the bayonet spring connectors, they are not 'springing' as they should. The Bakelite disc that holds the connectors has got stuck. Over the next few hours the flasher unit burns out, the (securely fitted) side light unit is removed, another two hours. I need to cut the wiring connectors out.
Rooting through the parts bin, I find a new twin filament bulb holder and the replacement is soldered in place. Now at work hour ten. New bulb will not fit into the torpedo fitting. I adapt and test the fitting and fit back onto wing… the wires are now too short, so I fit new longer connection wires. Tape up, check and refit. New flasher unit takes two hours to source Right back at the start… my initial reaction was to put a sliver of wood under the bulb, as that made it work, but I thought, ‘no, do it properly, change the bulb’. What I had not planned for was two days, two whole days, to change a sidelight bulb!
Big miles Vectra plodding on
My 21-year-old Vauxhall Vectra B Estate 1.8-litre petrol (like Danny’s new ride) reached her little milestone of 250,000 miles recently – see attached pictures. Same z18xe engine and 'box from new. I have owned the car since October 2004 and am trying my best to keep her on the road – though it's becoming harder to get parts!
SCUPPERED VW
I'm a little behind on my reading, but the article on the VW Trekker reminded me of a promotion deal one of the local radio stations in Billings, Montana did. They threw a contest to predict how long a Trekker would float. I don't remember how long ,but they really did drop one in the Yellowstone River and then waited for it to sink. It floated for longer than most people thought it would.
Quick posts
Which Design Icon would you take home?
Bond Bug for me. If you're gonna drive outrageous, you might as well drive totally outrageous!
As I already have a DS, I’d take it’s natural rival – the Renault 16 please? Or an Avantime, I’d be delighted to be brave enough to run such a mad vehicle.
Bond Bug converted to electric for me!
I would have my Rover SD1 back in either 2600 or 3500 form. But only if it was throroughly rustproofed underneath!
I need an older brother for this… I’ll take a 96 any day.
I have a Volvo 1800ES so am biased. I would
